Testimonials

Affordable Housing Matters!

These personal accounts demonstrate the positive impact that affordable housing solutions have made in the lives of Canadians. Read them and you may become inspired to get involved in affordable housing projects in your community!

These projects received expertise and advice from the Affordable Housing Centre's team of experts, and may have also benefited from financial assistance through programs such as the Affordable Housing Initiative, Proposal Development Funding, Renovation Programs and Seed Funding.

602 Albert Street — Strathroy, OntarioAt 12 units, the residence at 602 Albert Street isn’t big enough to dominate the landscape of Strathroy, Ontario, but it does offer well-designed affordable housing that blends in with the neighbourhood. It also has some nice touches.

West Grove Manor — Spruce Grove, Alberta
A private company has increased the supply of affordable rental housing in the Edmonton area with the construction of 103 affordable units in nearby Spruce Grove, Alberta.

Ida Mae Marriott — Halifax, Nova ScotiaA residential intensification project in Halifax Regional Municipality has more than tripled the number of affordable housing units available on a former school property.

Charlotte Court — Charlottetown, Prince Edward IslandAdditional accessibility, new community space, and a unique heating system are among the features of the newly built Charlotte Court seniors residence in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, which opened in 2011.

Leduc Terrace: Connect Crossing — Leduc, AlbertaFour small municipalities south of Edmonton created 24 new units of affordable housing for low-income households in two buildings by pooling their resources with federal and provincial funding.

WestEnd Commons — Winnipeg, ManitobaFor many neighbours living in a Winnipeg inner city neighbourhood, the quality affordable housing that is now being provided inside a revamped church is a rare find.

Concordia Village — Winnipeg, Manitoba
Tim Ward feels extremely lucky to be living in Concordia Village IV, a new 45-unit affordable apartment building developed by a faith group in Winnipeg’s East Kildonan area.

Harbourside Landing — Shelburne, Nova ScotiaVideo
With the opening of a new affordable housing project in rural Shelburne, seniors like Mary Lou Keith have the opportunity to stay in their community. Local volunteer committees and a non-profit housing organization work together to bring affordable seniors housing solutions to small communities in Atlantic Canada.

Yorkton, Saskatchewan
The City of Yorkton is saving money and providing better emergency services to its residents after building a new fire hall thanks to infrastructure improvements made possible by Canada’s Economic Action Plan.

Veneto Place — Fernie, British Columbia
A partnership between Parastone Development (a private developer), Columbia Basin Trust, BC Housing, the City of Fernie and Fernie Family Housing Society resulted in the creation of Veneto Place. After years of uncertainty, Pete Peters now has a stable, affordable home.

Stony Mountain Plaza — Wood Buffalo, AlbertaRents at Stony Mountain Plaza are about 20 per cent less than the market rate. The project's innovative modular construction and heating systems helped to address some of the challenges of building in a remote community.

Equity Building Program — Saskatoon, SaskatchewanAn innovative partnership between Affinity Credit Union and the City of Saskatoon, the Equity Building Program helps moderate-income families — like the Macatangays — buy a home by providing them with assistance for the down payment.

Pembroke Mews — Victoria, British ColumbiaThere is new life — even in old warehouses. The non-profit and private sectors joined forces with government to create affordable housing for working adults, in a converted warehouse.

Flanders Court — Moncton, New BrunswickWhen Flanders Court first opened, one of its first residents was a 55-year-old man who had been living on the street for eight to ten years and battled with mental illness. At first, the adjustment was difficult for this new resident, but he soon settled in.

Baker Gardens — Cranbrook, British ColumbiaAudrey Francis is grateful to have an affordable place to live after her husband passed away. Audrey is one of the first people to move into Baker Gardens, an affordable seniors' modular housing project.

Maple Ridge Apartments — Prince Albert, SaskatchewanEight residents of Prince Albert living with mental illness have safe and affordable housing, thanks to the development of Maple Ridge Apartments, a new apartment building created by the Prince Albert branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association.

St. John House — Stratford, Prince Edward IslandSeniors Hazel MacDonald, and Larry and Nan Trainor live in St. John House, a seniors’ residence that provides affordable housing for low-income seniors, who pay 25 per cent of their annual income to live there. The low rent has been made possible because of rent subsidies that have been provided by CMHC since St. John House opened in 1992.

B.C. Seniors Rental Housing (SRH) InitiativeA new $123.5 million Seniors’ Rental Housing (SRH) Initiative by the Governments of Canada and British Columbia will build approximately 1,300 new affordable rental units for seniors throughout the province.

Homegrown Homes — Peterborough, ONVideo
A community-based non-profit housing development corporation applies the principle of "Ingenuity in Action" to put together surplus municipal land, cash grants, donations and individual effort in a variety of combinations to create housing for low-income people.